The Burning Puzzle
by Master-Sora
Summary: Cloud is just like any normal guy, except for the part where he sells his soul to a god named Hades. And just like any other normal guy, he finds friendship and love. Of course, he has to get there first. LxC / Discontinued
1. With Matches

**Author's Notes:** There is a plot to this, though whether it becomes apparent or not yet . . . I don't know. But yes, I do have meaning with this. As of right now, there's no real warnings. Later there will be yaoi, though. I shall warn you of that now. Don't like, don't read. Plain and simple. Oh yeah. Sorry this is so short.

The Burning Puzzle  
"With Matches"  
By: Locked

**---**

"Love is a fire.  
But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn down your house,  
you can never tell."  
**Joan Crawford**

**---**

A blazing fire of undying passion – everyone wants it, but not everyone can have it. Finding someone, anyone who will fit you like two halves of a whole puzzle is not an easy task. You may find someone who is almost perfect, someone who fits you so well that you do not notice the little bit of them that is a tad too off to be your complete match.

**80 percent of married couples are not perfect matches.**

The glowing blue irises that scanned the page with narrowed pupils radiated annoyance; statistics were not of his concern. With a heaved sigh that passed through his teeth in a hiss, a pale hand crumpled the magazine and tossed it across the room. How could anyone possibly read things like that? Not only was it not hopeful, but it also made you start analyzing things you regularly do not care about, such as how well couples matched. Why would anyone want to do that?

"What's wrong?" came a feminine voice from somewhere near the frustrated man.

He glanced upwards, looking across the shadowed room at a young woman who sat cross-legged with a look of concern in her eyes. The woman always did that when he found himself displaying slightly unfamiliar behavior. As kind as the concern was, it was unnecessary. A pale hand was lifted into blonde locks of hair, stroking the strands gently as an obsessive habit. "Nothing."

"You can tell me," the woman offered, looking at the blonde expectantly. Her long brown bangs hung beside her face, curving around her cheeks as emphasis on her features, before they curled and passed her shoulders. The blonde noted that it made her look more innocent and understanding then it normally did.

"Nothing's wrong, Aerith. Please. . . ." He knew that she meant well, but he would not admit to her what was on his mind. Not only would that go against his own well-being, it would place another burden on his friend. With the feeling of needing to go home fresh on everyone's minds, there was no reason to simply add to it.

"If you ever want to talk about it, I'll be here." Her gentle voice reached his ears; soft, steady, and very melodic.

He sighed as a response and stood up, adjusting the large scarlet scarf around his neck. His eyes traveled around the room, taking in the scene piece by piece. The room was not lit well, causing him to have to strain his dilated pupils in order to see five feet in front of him. The fact that there was no light in the room was due to the simple reason that the blonde was lacking any type of currency to pay for electricity; this was a result of not being in the town very long. He had just recently arrived in Traverse Town, and he had yet to get a job of any kind. He managed to survive in his rinky-dink apartment without money, though. Looking to Aerith sitting in the squishy red chair, he offered her a short smile. It was an attempt to look thankful for her concern, but a feeble attempt it was. It did not take a genius to see through the man's broken expression. The concern in her eyes only grew more, and the blonde found himself at a loss.

"Cloud," she started warily, "please talk to me." It was no use, however. She knew that the man was stubborn, and her old friend would not just start talking unless he truly wanted to. Receiving a shrug as an answer, she stood up as well. A good three or four inches shorter than the man, she did her best to look big by stepping over to him and pointing a finger in his face. "I expect to know what's wrong at some point. Let me know, all right? Don't just mope around in here. . . ." Stepping back and crossing her arms, she looked to him with a stern gaze, which he immediately denied by turning his head away. "Fine, Cloud. I'm just going to go." And without looking back, Aerith left the room with the turn of a doorknob, and was gone from the apartment in a matter of seconds.

Cloud watched her go, no look of guilt even tinting his features. He needed no pity, so he would not speak of what plagued his mind. **_Bring him to me. You've gotten your half of the deal, _and_ you signed a contract, or should I refresh your memory?_**Those words were still fresh in his mind, digging into the very depths of him. _What have I done?_

He brought the darkness to his life in order to find someone from his past, for he feared that she was dead. Now he knew the truth, however. He was brought to the town in which she resided by Hades, and after a week of lounging around, he was starting to doubt how much he truly loved her. _Aerith and you aren't meant to be. It was obvious before, so why did you block it out?_ He could not pinpoint what it was exactly that was telling him that Aerith and he were not supposed to be together, but he knew his feelings for her had died into nothing more than a strong friendship. True love never was supposed to die, so perhaps that was his clue.

The scattered thoughts made him shiver, and he felt a need for fresh air. He went to his balcony, sliding opened the glass door and stepping outside. He had a nice view of the second district from the eighth floor of his building - the apartment building that loomed over the square with an almost menacing air. His lips twitched upwards as he felt the gentle breeze, something he had been dying for.

"Do you see him?"

"No." Cloud let his eyes wander to the ground below, analyzing each person. He was on the hunt for one specific person, someone he met through Aerith once before. That person was who he was supposed to coax over to the darkness. It was his job, and his alone.

"Well, he has to be here somewhere. I mean, he doesn't have wings. He can't just fly away."

The sarcasm he was receiving bit at his nerves, and Cloud had to grimace. "He has working legs."

"And he can travel from world to world with his working legs?" There was a mocking bout of laughter, "I don't think so!"

He glared at the pale blue hand that rested on his shoulder, the spindly digits gripping him forcefully. He disliked his 'boss', and he had disliked him from the start. But this other had promised to help him find his light in return for his soul, and it really did not seem like much at the time. Cloud regretted the day with pure disdain.

"You see, people are like ants. They busy themselves all day, and scurry away as fast as they can when they're in danger. But in the end, they get squished. You are the shoe, and you're going to squish _him_. Do I make myself clear?"

"Whatever," Cloud answered, his eyes shifting to glare at the ground below. He did not know this man, so why should he care whether or not he joined the darkness? Was he that amazing that he was needed on this side? It seemed completely idiotic to the blonde, and he doubted that he would ever change his view on the situation.

The grip on his shoulder tightened, and Cloud winced as the sharp fingers dug into his skin. "I helped you!" was yelled into his ear, and he could feel the heat of the flames burn off of the blue skin near him. Cloud found himself shaking at the pressure in which was being shot through the hold on him. "I know. I know! And I'm helping you too!" The grip relaxed at his proclamation, and the hand withdrew from him. He was thankful that the hold was released, and he decided to make sure his shoulder still as functional by rolling it around. Finding no damage beside searing pain, he brought his attention back to the crowd of people. There he focused on one figure, following it along the cobblestone.

"There he is."

"I see him."

"Go and get him. . . ."

**Author's Notes: **Incase you didn't catch that, Cloud is working for Hades still. You can't just stop working for him. Just look at Meg - Hercules had to become a god to make that better. They're plotting to drag -someone- over to the "dark side". Who could it be? Really, it isn't a trick question. Review, please.


	2. Playing With Fire

**Author's Notes:** I realize that I've neglected this fic, and to those of you who care, I deeply apologize. No, that's a lie. Actually, I was planning on letting this rot, but dear Meredith insisted that I update this for her sake. So, as an early Valentine's Day gift, here you are, my balentime. Hope you enjoy.

Also, the editing box completely destroyed some pieces of my story, and it made me look like a grammatical moron. I'm sorry about that.

**Disclaimer:** Whoops. I forgot this in the first chapter. So, I'll skip the formalities and get right to the point. The character's aren't mine, so sue me and get nothing but a consolation prize, which will either be a crumpled up piece of paper or a stick figure drawn by yours truly. Thank you.

**Warnings: **Mild swearing, shounen-ai (boy x boy love), and a chance of mild angst in the future. Don't like it, don't read it.

The Burning Puzzle  
"Playing With Fire"  
By: Locked

-

Maybe redemption has stories to tell  
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell  
Where can you run to escape from yourself  
Where you gonna go  
Where you gonna go  
Salvation is here  
**  
Switchfoot**

"Dare You To Move"

-

Heavy footfalls echoed down the cobblestone street, a lonely figure taking his strides at a slow pace. Black-gloved hands were shoved deep within the confines of his pockets, fingering a small golden key. The importance of the key was known to him for he had it for so long.

He had found nothing of interest outside. There had been no heartless, no abnormal activities, and nothing suspicious at all. Was it possible that the town was finally relaxing? For some reason, he severely doubted it.

A bone chilling breeze blew passed him, carrying a red balloon along with it. He frowned and held his leather jacket closer to himself, ignoring the wisps of hair that tickled his face. His hair could wait until he got inside of the shop to be fixed; there was no emergency.

Pushing passed the wooden doors, he was immediately welcomed by a thick voice of an obvious smoker, "Ya' see anythin' excitin' out there, Leon?"

The brunet met the eyes of the pilot which were scanning him with a great intensity, as though waiting for him to lie. But no lie came from the young man. In fact, not much of a response came at all. A simple shrug of the shoulders was all the movement the stoic individual gave, proving both his lack of interest and unwillingness to speak.

"I see. Well, ain't that great then? No heartless?" The pilot known as Cid relaxed his elbows on the countertop beside his register, a cigarette handing from between his clenched jaw. The cancer stick was unlit, hanging lifelessly where it was. A smear of oil stood out on his chest, the white shirt looking nothing short of dull with the sleek black liquid coating him. With a bored look to the younger man, he waited for an answer.

"No." The voice that rose from Leon's throat was rich, soothing, and yet lacking energy. He sounded drained, as though the life had been completely sucked out of him. Metaphorically speaking, it had. Whatever energy he had once possessed was gone, faded out into a past life that he would much rather forget about. But how far could he run from something so closely connected to himself? Where ever he would go, his past was sure to follow. He could change his name, paint himself a slightly altered image, give himself a new perspective on life, but he could never get rid of what happened.

The truth can be hard to avoid because inevitably, it haunts you.

A creak echoed through the silence of the shop, lingering in the air as though taunting the two occupants-another had arrived. There had been no one else expected, though customers were always welcomed in Cid's shop, so long as they did not break anything and bought something expensive. But this new arrival had no intentions of buying anything from the middle aged blond.

The timing was perfect, as he had intended. Stalking was not what he had wanted to do with his life, but he knew that he feared the worst from his boss. If he failed to comply with his orders, there would be no happy place.

A dumbstruck look creased onto Cid's face, mouth parting enough to let the cigarette fall haphazardly from his lips. It was obvious disbelief etched within his features, though not necessarily a negative disbelief. A single word rose from his vocals, sounding both curious and distressed, "Cloud?"

When his name caught his ears, a small smile curled upwards. It was good to be remembered. In his normal soft voice, he answered, "Nice to see you, Cid." His footsteps echoed on the tiled floors as he allowed himself entrance, his Mako induced gaze taking in every detail of the shop. The brick fireplace, the ladder in the back, the odd coloring of the walls and floors, the small objects that were up for sale, a sign which spoke of what was up the ladder, as well as the two in the room were duly noted. The smell of oil and hard labor was also taken into account as he surveyed the area. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Like hell it has! Boy, you had us worried sick! You see the girls yet?" Cid pushed himself off of the countertop to approach his friend, eyes alight with relief. Everyone had believed the mercenary to be dead, and to see him back alive and well was all the more than satisfying at that point. "Thank God you're alive."

Cloud nodded his head politely, motioning for the man to stop. He had lowered his head and closed his eyes in a shameful manner, and when the sounds of boots hitting the floor ceased, he raised his head once again. "I'm sorry, Cid. I didn't mean to worry anyone. I've just been," his voice trailed off as his gaze faltered on the other blond, stealing a glance at Leon who remained where he was with crossed arms. Cloud puffed a sigh and looked back to Cid, shrugging off what he had been saying, "Forget it."

"Whatever, Spiky." Cid shook his head exasperatedly, knowing to expect no less from the young man. The blond never had been one to actually enjoying leaking information, though he would do it with the right persuasion. Right now, Cid really did not feel like fighting for him to continue, knowing that all would be said in time. He had only just arrived, so there had to be plenty of time.

Leon felt completely out of place while the other two exchanged words welcome and gratitude, so he had remained silent in hopes of finding a good time to leave. The blond he did not recognize was blocking the door, so escaping was not an option. He prayed that they would notice him and let him go, though being noticed would most likely mean an unwanted introduction. Quite frankly, he did not care who the man was; all he wanted to do was go home. He had reported and now he was dismissed, and he felt that he deserved some peace. But when he heard his name, he knew that leaving was going to be harder than it should have been. "What?"

"Are you deaf, boy? I just introduced ya' to Cloud!"

The brunet had to bite back a retort, just offering Cid an indifferent look and a shrug. Needless to say, Cid had not taken his disrespectful behavior lightly. Luckily, Cloud was not in the mood to hear the older man explode over something trivial, so he had taken the liberty of cutting him off, "Nice to meet you, Leon."

With a dark eyebrow arched heavenwards, the brunet offered Cloud a slow nod in return to the greeting. A hand was then extended from the blond, and all Leon could do was stare at it. In one cold motion, he ignored the hand and he walked passed the man, but a wing fanned out and blocked his exit. "Rude, aren't we?"

"Whatever," came the reply, an icy glare piercing right into Cloud. The blond winced a bit and shifted his gaze elsewhere, though he did not move. "I don't have time for this. Don't be an idiot, just let me go."

Something struck a chord, because Cloud was now returning the icy glare with a much more fiery one, stepping right in front of Leon to completely block his view. "Excuse me?"

The look on Leon's face was enough to freeze the sun, a flicker of irritation rising in the back of his stony stare. His temper was not easy to raise because of the simple fact that he refused to let emotions leak through so easily, but something about this blond was frustrating him, and it had been even before he spoke. His presence had just caused him to want to leave, even though he knew nothing about him besides his name. Perhaps it was the way he carried himself, a cocky aura just hanging around him. He felt that the blond thought he was something special, even if he had yet to do anything to prove this theory. Leon was just one to prejudge, something which could not be helped.

Cloud, on the other hand, had quite the temper. It was rather easy to make him upset and hurt his feeling's, even if he would never openly admit to that. What Leon had said had hurt him; being called names had always bothered him. As childish as he felt for taking so much offense to it, he was unable to make himself relax and let it slide. It felt to him that Leon was challenging him, and he never backed down from a challenge. His jaw set, glowing eyes narrowed effectively, and back arched in an attempt to seem intimidating, he kept his eyes level with the other in an unblinking gaze.

Sky blue and deep blue flickered with electric anger as the heated glares never faltered. Time seemed to be standing still, holding them in place until they would bore holes into the other. The tension seemed to have a distinct scent, a salty smell that was vaguely like blood.

No sarcastic words were shared, no deeming taunts sprouted, and the sounds of swords locked in battle never came. The two stubborn warriors remained as they were, waiting for the other to make the first move as they plotted the other's downfall.

It was then that something was remembered, and sky blue eyes blinked and looked away, breaking the intense gaze. "Cid, it's been nice seeing you again. I hope to be able to speak with you more at some point. I have an apartment here, so I'll swing by later, all right? See ya'." Cloud did not stand by to see the reactions, leaving before anything else was said or done.

A scarlet cape billowed as the younger blond left the shop in obvious anger, his fists pumping in tight balls. Hades wanted that son of a bitch to be persuaded to their cause? He was not about to continue with it. If the god wanted that man so badly, then he could do it on his own. There was no way in Hell that he would attempt to speak rationally with the cold man again, because it would be a waste of valuable time. Hades could speak with him himself, and that was the end of that.

In his haste, he spotted something gleaming. It had been on the streets without a lock companion, luring him in with a bright golden gleam successfully. Indefinitely, it was something of some value, because the shape was eloquently designed as though handcrafted for one specific lock. A key.Sadly, he had not a clue as to whom it belonged to and to what it opened.

A frustrated sigh escaped pale lips as he thought of why he could possibly care about such an insignificant little item. Its purpose was not useful to him, for surely he did not have the object in which it would open. It was too small to open any door, which led him to believe that it was made for a diary. But what kind of careless idiot left the key to their diary sitting on the street? The young man could not fathom it, that was for sure.

What did he care? It was none of his business, and should someone confront him about the key, he would easily give it back without thought of whether or not it was truly theirs. For all he knew it could open Pandora's Box and let all hell break loose, but he was willing to take that risk.

Deciding that he no longer cared, he sighed and pondered where to go from here.Then, with his mind made up, Cloud headed back to his home, pulsing with rage. What had happened back there would not be taken lightly, and he would remember it for a long time to come.

**Author's Notes: **Thank you to my previous reviewers. I really appreciate it. I write my stories to be read, and to know they're actually being read gives me a satisfied feeling. I love you dearly, and I mean it.

Please drop off your comments. I really would like to hear from you.

Happy Valentine's Day!


	3. Keep Going

**Author's Notes**: Wow. I'm back awfully fast. I figured that since it's a holiday and I'm sick with nothing to do anyway, I might as well write another chapter. I hope you all like it.  
(Reviewers thanked at the end.)

The Burning Puzzle  
"Interlude: Keep Going"  
By: Locked

-  
"If you come across fear, stare it in its eyes. Face it and you will notice that fear fades away."  
**J.Krishnamoorthy**  
-

"So? How'd it go?"

Cloud had only just walked into his apartment, barely putting the keycard back into his pocket for safe keeping. He was not in the mood to see the god again, especially when he was obviously expecting some good news. The tone of his voice had sounded smug, enough to tell the blond that if he should nothave the information the god wanted, there was going to be a serious issue at hand.

He saw the blue flames before anything else, glowing eerily in the corner of his living room. Cloud then cast his gaze over the god, taking in what he saw carefully. Hades was sprawled on the red recliner, his elbow leaning on the arm rest to support his head, his yellow eyes narrowed with anticipation. The blond braced himself internally, keeping his face as neutral as he possibly could. "Not so good."

"What do you mean, 'not so good'?" Hades was standing up before Cloud could blink, standing over him with a glare in his eyes. "Should I refresh your memory?" he raised a spindly hand to his right temple, massaging it in circles, "Not so good is not an answer, Cloud!" When he looked at the face of his minion, he read the look in his eyes with great skill. A smirk then rose onto the corners of his lips, an amused glint flickering within the back of his yellow stare. "Wait, wait, wait. You mean to tell me that you only just met, and you two already had a fight?" He laughed, pointing a long finger in the blond's face, "How is it that you already managed to screw up?"

"He's the one who was an asshole. If you want to blame someone, blame him!" Cloud took a step back, glaring daggers at the god. Thinking that he had no more to say, he turned his back on him and stepped over to the coffee table to pick up a box of matches, beginning to light some candles in the room for source of better lighting.

"What happened exactly?" Hades advanced on Cloud, appearing in front of him. He was massively invading the man's personal space by standing between him and his desk, stopping him in mid step from lighting a green candle.

Cloud sighed and walked away from the god again, staring at his feet as he went to attempt to light another candle. He could not really explain what had happened without feeling like an idiot, only because it had been so childish on his part. Everything was taken personally with him, and someone's bad attitude was automatically taken as a personal attack. "We just didn't hit it off, okay?"

"No. Not okay. What part of, 'we need him on our side' don't you understand? I really don't care whether or not you like him! Befriend the lion and bring him to me!" The volume of his voice had risen with every word, until he had finally been screaming at him. His flames turned a horrific scarlet and blazed on his skin, showing the extent of his rage brilliantly.

"I'm not a tamer. If you want your stupid lion, go get him yourself."

The flame's died back down into blue, and Hades brought his hand to his chin, stroking it thoughtfully. "I guess all of those spikes running through your head really did let loose the hot air."

Cloud attempted to ignore the snide remark, working on the fifth candle with shaking anger. He took a deep breath and put the matches back onto the coffee table, hoping to occupy himself with something other than the god in the room. His plan was just to ignore him and pray that he left, though that would never happen. Persistent was a good word to describe Hades, next to persuasive and manipulating. He would never stop until he won, which was just what he planned on doing.

"You're going to suffer through this, my spiky headed compadre, because, quite frankly, you don't have a choice," his voice shook with silent laughter, rubbing in the fact that Cloud was stuck doing as he was told. "And you very well know that I will make sure the job gets done, whether you make it out alive or not."

"What's that supposed to mean, 'if I make it out alive'? I don't remember you ever saying anything about my life being at risk here." Cloud spun on his heel to stare at the god accusingly, his eyes narrowed and arms crossed. His wing was fanned out at full length, making him look bigger and more intimidating than he actually was. A demonic look was laced in his glowing gaze, his jaw set and face like stone.

"When dealing with a lion, Cloud, there are always risks. If you piss him off, don't expect to live through it. He's not nearly as lenient as I am, and he won't put up with the hissy fits you throw."

"Hissy fits? I don't throw hissy fits!"

"You're throwing one now!"

"You know what? Whatever! Go somewhere, all right?" Cloud threw up his hands in aggravation, sitting down on his couch in one solid motion. He looked as though he should have been pouting along with his attitude, but all he did was stare at his carpet indignantly and wish Hades away.

"Look, you were given a job, and you _will _do it. If you don't, I can easily take away what little you have left. There are more lives than your own at stake." That smugness had returned to his voice, dripping from his lips and burning holes into Cloud.

"This isn't between anyone else, Hades! Don't get anyone else involved!" The blond now sounded frantic, and when the god began to laugh at him, all he could do was stand up and stare at him in disbelief. If he had not known any better, he would have attempted to kill him right then and there, but he knew that it would be incredibly useless.

"If you don't want anyone hurt, I suggest you get out there and do your job! Go become buddy-buddy with him, make him trust you, and bring him back to me! You can do it; I picked you for this job for a reason! The two of you are similar enough to find a common ground, and if you would just _try _to become his friend, then you _easily _could!"

"I don't want to be friends with that heartless jerk, damn it!"

"Like you have a choice?"

"What is it about him, anyway? Huh? Why do you need him so damned bad?"

"He's vital to 'the plan'," Hades put his fingertips together, sneering down at Cloud. "He's a needed soldier in our game. The fates saw you bringing him to me, and there is no way I'm letting you mess it up!"

Cloud stared long and hard at the god that stood before him, studying him crucially. So he really did not have a choice? The decision was already set in stone? He let out a defeated sigh before he lowered his gaze to the floor, his arms raising to hug himself.

"I'm glad you've come to see things my way," a smirk once again produced itself onto Hades, his hand going on top of Cloud's head to ruffle the spikes teasingly. "I'm giving you a month, which is plenty of time to get close to him. If you've not accomplished this by the time this month is out, I will take extreme measures. Your light will die, I'll see to it myself." Standing up straight to cast a tall shadow over Cloud, he then added, "And to make sure you're on task, I'll receive reports from reliable sources on your progress weekly. So don't screw up this time, you copy?" Without waiting for a reply, Hades was gone, leaving black smoke in his wake.

The young man collapsed onto his couch, staring up at his ceiling with disdain. He hated working for the god, and he hated how he would have to be the one to play the ultimate betrayal with someone, despite whether or not he liked him.

He then rolled over so that he was facing the head of the couch, closing his eyes in pain. _How am I supposed to pull this off? _It was going to be harder than he bargained for.

-

**Author's Notes**: It's not much, but it's only a filler between chapters. Trust me, each piece will all make sense in the end, I'll be sure of that.  
Thanks to my reviewers! I'm going to thank you all individually now. I'm sorry I didn't last time, I meant to, but I was lazy. So, here we go:

**AngelD** - Thanks for your review! A dark sided Cloud is enough for anyone, huh? Oh yeah.

**Pyrofirepower** - (x2) Ha-ha. Thanks, chiquita. You're an awesome balentime, you know that?

**Yersi Fanel** - Glad you like it! Thanks!

**Chess88 **- I want my cookies, you. He he. n.n Thank ya'!

**Schu** - Couldn't have Leon falling all over Cloud at first sight. He's not like that. . Stupid mean Leon. Can't answer your question about the key, though. You'll have to keep reading to find out.

**D****imonyo-anghel **- Wrote more! Thanks!

Thank you all very much. You guys keep me going. ;) Hugs and kisses to you all. And a happy Valentine's Day!  
Please review!


	4. Dream Of Forest Flames

**Author's Notes**: Oh boy. I absolutely hate this. This idea came rather randomly while I was watching "The Brave Little Toaster," but I'll have you know that it is very important. Please pick up the message here, and I'll get to the next chapter later.

**Warnings**: Mild angst, that's all.

The Burning Puzzle  
"Of Forest Flames"  
By: Locked

-

"There is no greater sorrow than to recall in misery the time when we were happy."  
**Author - Dante**

-

A long, gentle howl spun through the air. It danced in the wind, lifting high above the treetops to call to others. Trees creaked along the the haunting music, swaying from side to side with the beat. Other noises answered the call; the chirping of birds in the leaves, a rustling forest floor, but even more importantly, a loud roar that hung through the air.

The wolf retreated at first from the roar, sniffing the air curiously. It then began to pad over to where it heard the sound, its paws snapping the underbrush on the forest floor. Its eyes scanned the area wildly, looking for the creature that had answered the lonely call. The padding halted when its colorblind eyes landed on a majestic figure lying beside a decaying log. The mane around the massive head blew in the wind as the creature's sleek tail flicked passive aggressively. The wolf was staring into the sharp eyes of a lion.

Taking a few steps back nervously, the wolf let its tail hide as it once again sniffed the air, ears pressed flat against its head. It then circled the feline who watched with a rather bored expression, as the wolf tried to see it from all angles. It found nothing of interest, so the wolf decided to deem the lion safe enough to be near. It sat down about ten feet from the male, back slightly arched and head lowered as it showed some respect.

The lion sat up, staring at the wolf long and hard. He seemed to not know what to make of this other, his eyes narrowed wearily. A low growl began to emit from his chest as he stood up to full height, trying to scare the canine away. The wolf just backed up a bit and sat down again, still peering curiously at the lion. It did not seem as though the other would be easily persuaded by the icy stares and threatening growls, the lion noted.

The lion tried a different tactic, striding right up to where the wolf sat. He bared his teeth and unsheathed his claws, then he began to circle around the wolf like it had done to him. He was not checking the wolf out however, this method was used to kill.

Frightened, the wolf stood up and watched the lion as it stopped its proud roam, pressing its ears flat against its skull as it gave him an innocent stare. It also began to walk in a circle, trying to get the upper hand. However, the lion would not let this happen. He circled as well, and the two began their dance together.

The first to strike was the wolf, coming from a crouching position to run through the circle. It snapped at the lion's foot, rushing by to be behind him for advantage purposes. The lion would not allow it, turning around to keep the icy stare locked on the wolf. Both growled, threatening the other and daring them to move.

The danger increased as the lion stepped forward, letting out a long, low roar. He then lashed out, rushing forward before taking a leap. His arms extended out, claws were visible, and mouth opened to show the dagger-like fangs. The wolf could not react fast enough and was pushed down, back pressed against the ground as the lion hovered above. A yip of pain had passed through the defenseless creature, the lion's face inching closer to its own. The wolf tried to kick at the larger creature to get him off, but the lion did not seem to care. His face reflected one that radiated indifference, his cold eyes flickering with an unrecognizable emotion.

Squirming, the wolf attempted to free itself again. A fruitless attempt it was, though it continued with determination. It turned its head to face a tree they had fallen beside, trying to avoid eye contact with the lion above him. As though the lion noticed, it swung its massive paw to hit the side of the wolf's face, a small trickle of blood running right beneath its eye.

Once more, the wolf yipped in pain. The lion seemed to take pity this time, because the elegant creature withdrew from the position he was in, and instead sat in front of the wolf. Though he still looked as though he did not trust the smaller creatures motives, he doubted the threat that it posed. But still the unblinking eyes of the lion did not leave the canine, just waiting for it to make the wrong move.

The wolf got off of the ground, bleeding and in pain, but not damaged more than the scratch under its eye. It gave a terrified look to the lion and sat down a good distance in front of him, bowing its head slowly in shame. At this action, the lion seemed to laugh, its eyes dancing with a mild amusement. It was gone the moment the wolf noticed it, the friendliness slipping away once more into hiding.

There was a beat, and the wolf stood up to try and approach the lion again. It seemed determined to either aggravate the lion or just prove that it was trustworthy. Whatever the reason was, the wolf was now in front of the lion with a distance of a few feet. Surprisingly, the lion did not mind the relative closeness, though he continued to scrutinize the other.

There was a tranquil silence between the two. The wind had stopped, the tension died, and everything seemed to be at a calm. The lion then relaxed enough to lay down without fearing the actions of the other. The wolf followed suit, though hesitantly, making sure that the location was close and beside him. When no growl of protest came, the wolf relaxed entirely and hid its face in its paws.

The tranquility died, the air thickened, and the temperature increased. Both animals awoke in alarm, their eyes both focusing on blue fire towering in front of them. Flames licked up and down the trees easily, taking them down to leave nothing but the skeletons behind.

"Run," hissed a voice calmly, amusement hidden in the undertones. The two animals took the advice and turned to run.

The heat followed after them with demonic speed. Eventually, it reached them. Their path had not been clear enough, which had slowed down their escape immensely.

The fire passed them, trapping them in a triangle shape. As if by magic, the flames shot through the middle of the triangle and separated the lion and wolf. The wolf then panicked, backing away from the icy blue flames that gleamed triumphantly at him. It was oddly familiar, and it struck fear and pain into its heart.

Suddenly, the flames disappeared, leaving a pathway to the lion who had been trapped on the other side of the wall of fire. The debris had fallen all around the lion, making it harder to get to him, and when the wolf finally did make it, he noticed the massive creature on his side. His eyes were closed forcefully in his awkward position, mane burnt and dirty.

Hopefully, the wolf nudged the lion with its muzzle, succeeding in moving a hefty paw. The lion's icy eyes did not open, his chest failed to fall and rise with his lungs, and the wolf could not hear a faint beating of the heart.

It was over; the wolf knew it. It had even sat beside him, staring longingly at the lion in hopes of seeing him move. Nothing came, and no fairy tale ending of happily ever after incorporated itself in the story. All hope was finally meaningless, the optimism dead along with it.

The wolf let out one last agonizing howl, letting all know the misery and loss that had taken place that day. The final song hung heavily in the air, spicing the wind with grey and gloom. Nothing was left but the wolf in despair, and it was the miserable fate that the wolf had begun with; loneliness.

-

**Author's Notes**: Please, don't tell me how much that sucked. I'm well aware of it. Yay. (: Just review and be good.

And just to answer a question that might come, I used the wolf as an "it" because you cannot tell as easily what the gender is like you can with a lion. Just take it into consideration.

And now, to my reviewers.

**schu - **I do, also. Leon is a lion, Cloud is a wolf. No denying it. ;D And I'm glad you like how I play Hades. I guess after role-playing him, I kind of get the knack for him. Heh.

**queen of happy - **Yay. Thank you. I appreciate that.

**Yersi Fanel - **In this, Cloud's light is Aerith. Why? Because it fits better. I don't know if Sephy will be making an appearance in this.

Thank you three. I hope you guys didn't hate this. Keep reading.


	5. Electric Battles

**Author's Notes**: To me, this goes kind of slow. It drags on, and it's kind of boring. But I'm hard on myself, so who knows?

**Warnings**: Swearing, battle scenes, blood, and more swearing. Sorry, no real romance yet. Try the next chapter. (:

The Burning Puzzle  
"Electric Battles"  
By: Locked

-

"You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it."  
Margaret Thatcher

-

A clap of thunder came loudly from an opened window, the cool air blowing icy raindrops into the room. Cloud jumped from his sleeping position, his teeth chattering as his hairs stood on end. "Shit," he hissed, throwing himself off of the couch to fight the wind in order to close the window.

Lightning lit up the whole dark apartment, casting shadows all around. It looked like something out of a horror flick, and for this the blond was not thankful.

He had previously had one of his best friends threatened just to get him to befriend some heartless bastard with a grudge against him for nothing. He had been scolded like a child who had failed a math test. To top it off, he had just had one of the most strange dreams he could ever recall having. Add in the fact that he was now freezing because of his stupidity, and he was not a happy camper.

When the wrestle with the wind was over, and the window was successfully shut, he walked back over to the couch and collapsed on it. "Why me?" he asked the empty apartment, clutching his hands into tight fists, "Why is it always me?" His eyes burned with tears that threatened, his mind racing for a hopeful attempt at escape. "Haven't I been through enough already?" His head dropped, his balled fists shoving themselves into his eyes. In all of his self pity, he barely realized that he was still speaking in a soft whisper, "Nothing's been done for me in return. I've done so much, and I haven't gotten anything from it."

He unclenched his fists, allowing them to rise and grasp his hair painfully. His eyes were forced shut, agonizing tears spilling from his eyelashes as his lips rose to bare his teeth. "I can't stand this!" he growled, jumping to his feet and hunching over, his hands tugging at his hair. Fulfilling his breakdown, a loud, pained yell rose from his throat and hung in the air while the fierce tears continued to stain his cheeks.

The confusion he felt was like no other, torn between his only choices. He could do as he was told and be the good minion he was supposed to be and seal Leon to Hades, or he could rebel and get himself, as well as Aerith, killed. Neither were good choices, and quite frankly, he would rather just kill himself to ease everyone's pain. Common sense stopped him from thinking on that for more than a minute, seeing as that would be just as ignorant as going through the first two choices. With suicide ruled out, he was at a complete loss.

With all of the strength he possessed, he kicked the leg of his coffee table and sent it flying at the wall, where it cracked clear down the center. His rapid breathing began to decrease, and the salty tears ceased all together. "This isn't fair," he told himself gently, shakily walking over to inspect the damage done to the table, "at all." He calmly traced his finger over the jagged wood, pricking himself on a sharp edge. His hand then recoiled, his eyes narrowing at a small drop of blood that hit the floor. The crimson sunk into the red carpeting, disappearing from his sight.

Sharply, he turned on his heel and grabbed the hilt of his Buster Sword, lifting the massive blade with ease. After he carefully eyed the weapon, he took a deep intake of air and exited his apartment building and into the rain. The water ran down his face, and he just closed his eyes to enjoy the feeling. It clung to his hair, pressing the gold onto the sides of his face as the gel washed away.

He stayed in front of the looming building for several minutes before the forth roar of thunder made him move. His eyes slid opened, and he purposefully walked along the cobblestone street. It was at that moment an unearthly shriek took his attention, and what looked to be an ice spell fizzed out around the corner. His curiosity got the best of him, and he lifted the sword into attacking position and began to head over to where he imagined a fight to be. Sure enough, once he turned the corner, he saw nothing but gleaming yellow eyes focused on him.

Cloud braced himself, taking a few steps back in attempt to count all of the creatures leering at him. There were at least fifty, he deducted, holding his breath as a few decided to rush at him. His eyes narrowed in focus, his blade raised to take a mighty swing at the heartless which sent them tumbling in the air. They recovered and began to close in on him again, but Cloud kept an even face and struck again.

"You really are stupid," an icy voice said with a tint of amusement, the clang of another weapon ringing through the air. The hundred yellow eyes shifted towards the other as a few of the black creatures disappeared in smoke.

Cloud glared at Leon as he cleared himself a path to the blond, striking down a few more heartless. "You don't even know me," he hissed as he took another swing.

"Clueless," was all the brunet said as he stepped away from the crowd of heartless, pulling the trigger on his gunblade to launch a fireball into the center of the sea of black, despite the pouring rain. It exploded on impact, and ten where gone with shrieks.

The blond stared at Leon, clenching his teeth tightly in annoyance. Had he done that to show off? He doubted that the other ever showed off, but it struck a chord at any rate. It made him feel as though he had to outdo what had just been done, and yet he seriously doubted he could do anything better than that. _Well_, he countered, _let's see what I can do_.

Cloud stood tall, spinning the Buster Sword in his hands and positioning his feet shoulder width apart. The heartless came towards him, and he waited until they were directly in front of him before he launched himself forward. He put all of his weight into his run, and he managed to catch a whole row of the creatures on his blade. With the last of the adrenaline that built up, he spun with both hands grasping the hilt, destroying any heartless near him.

The last of the creatures melted into the street and left, leaving no evidence that they had ever been there behind. They had retreated, though, they would be back - they always came back.

Cloud panted, the heavy blade of his sword landing into the street as he rested on it. "You put to much effort into that. If they come back, you're dead." His cerulean eyes whipped over to Leon, who did not face him but spoke nonetheless.

"That's nice to know. Thanks."

The brunet shrugged and twirled the gunblade half-mindedly. Obviously, he was not very social, and Cloud doubted that he cared whether or not he did end up dead. That would certainly make his task harder.

Another clap of thunder sounded, and a flash of lightning threatened the building across the street. "Damned rain," the blond breathed out, pushing himself off of his sword to cross his arms over his chest, "Has to come and wake me up."

Leon shot him a look, shaking his head with an unreadable expression. He then turned and began to walk away, brushing a few strands of his wet hair out of his eyes.

"What's your malfunction?" Cloud hissed at him, glaring at his retreating form.

"You talk too much," came the cold answer.

"Least I don't have a stick up my ass."

The brunet stopped walking, turning around to glare pure ice at Cloud. The blond visibly shivered at the look, countering with a blazing glare of his own. Their eyes remained locked in another glaring battle which neither refused to lose, that was, until a bellowing came from behind Leon.

The blond raised his eyes, his expression hardening into a poker face. "What's the biggest heartless you've ever come in contact with?"

Stormy eyes glittered with aggravation as the brunet turned around to see what Cloud had been staring so intently at. Standing about two stories tall with glowing yellow eyes, dagger-like claws, and a canine tail, was another shadow monster. Leon had to frown at it before the empty expression drew up on his features and he took a battle stance.

The heartless slammed its hand in front of them, digging its claws into the wet street as lightning streaked by its head. Another bellow escaped it as it swatted at the two men. They launched in opposite directions, avoiding begin hit as they began to formulate separate plans. Both knew that if they were to defeat it, they would have to be working together, so Cloud took the initiative to yell over at Leon, "I know we didn't get off on the right foot, but we're going to have to pull this off together! Cover that side and look for a weakness!"

The brunet snorted, but he complied without any arguments. He struck at the creatures foot, causing it to shoot a bubble of water at him. It knocked him off his feet and caused him to bang into the street, his gunblade landing beside him. With a short moan, he got back onto his feet and rushed at it again, risking a glance at Cloud.

His eyes narrowed in anger as he saw the blond not doing anything, instead just watching the scene play out. He did not allow his strong emotion to be seen as he looked at him, but once his focus was back on his opponent, it was quite apparent that he was furious. Who was Cloud to slack off like he was? He was quite able to fight, and yet he did nothing at all.

While his thoughts were elsewhere, he forgot the main rule of battle: Always keep your mind on the battlefield. With a small gasp of pain, he was sent back onto the street by a swipe of the creature's tail. Before he could react, its hand was locked around him, claws slowly beginning to dig in at his sides.

Cloud watched in agony, biting at his bottom lip. He had been analyzing the creature, and he had managed to take in that its element was water, it was heavily armored, and did not seem to have a weak point. "Damn it," he hissed as he raised his blade and went to aid Leon. Lightning flashed before he got there, and he began to run faster, an idea striking him. "Thank you, rain!"

The blond to a leap, striking the creature's arm as hard as he could. It shrieked in agony and withdrew from the hold it had on Leon, shooting bubbles of water at Cloud as he continued to move. "Stay where you are," he called to the brunet, "you'll get hit if you move!"

Leon gave him a puzzled look but said nothing, pushing himself off of the ground to tend to his wounds while the ex-soldier kept the heartless' attention. His head snapped to attention when he heard the distinct crackling of electricity, his eyes narrowing sharply as Cloud raised his blade. The heartless let out a growl, taking a few small steps back in fear of the energy that sparked from the tip of the sword.

"You're going to kill yourself!" the brunet yelled, catching the attention of the heartless. A long claw shot through Leon's leg, crimson beginning to mix with the rain.

He yelled out in pain, closing his eyes tightly collapsing onto the ground as his leg gave up on him. He dropped his weapon and lowered his gaze to the moist ground, biting back any other signs of pain. Leon refused to show how much pain he was in, afraid that he would be seen as weak. Other's opinions on him really mattered, though he would never tell anyone his deep fear of rejection.

"Better me than you!" Cloud yelled back, thrusting up his sword in one smooth motion to shoot lightning bolts into the sky, catching a natural one with his own. It then came back down, connecting with the metal blade and burning the blond's fingers. All he could do was wince as he quickly tossed the sword at the heartless, catching it in the chest and sending bolts of electricity all over.

As fast as he could, he went over to Leon and fell beside him, wrapping an arm protectively around him as he forced him to turn into the street. They hid themselves as best as they could while the lightning paralyzed the heartless, the unearthly yells of pain reaching their ears. It grew increasingly louder until it stopped all together, the clattering of metal hitting the ground echoing through the district.

When he was sure it was safe, he sat up and released Leon, turning around to look at where the shadow had once been. All that was left was his sword and static, which mingled in the water and crackled into the air. "That shouldn't have been so hard," he sighed, rubbing his pained hands as his body jolted from the electricity which had been introduced to it. His eyes fell to Leon, who he noticed was staring blankly into the grey sky as the rain hit him. His eyes strayed down to his leg which sat in a pool of blood, a noticeable wound cut through his leather pants. "Shit! Why didn't you say something?"

The brunet glared at him, his face paler than it should have been. His skin was icy to the touch, though inwardly, he felt as though he had been set on fire. His vision was blurry, movement weak, not to mention to undeniable pain he was experiencing.

"Cure," Cloud whispered as he put his hand over the wound, a green glow emitting from his palms. The skin repaired itself, leaving nothing but a scar in its place. "We need to get you home." He received no response, so he sighed heavily and stood up, reaching down to grab hold of Leon's arm. The brunet pulled back, determined to get up on his own. "And you were calling _me_ stupid?"

"Fuck off," he growled back at him, managing to sit up, though he did not get any farther than that.

"I'm not playing this game with you." Cloud grasped his arm tightly and yanked him up, forcing him to lean on him for support, "If you walk on that thing, you're going to find yourself face first on the stone."

"I don't need your help." He attempted to pull away again, though he was weak from blood loss. Leon found the blond to be not only stubborn and stupid, but quite strong as well. He would bet his money that it was because he was drained that he was so weak. Cloud could not have honestly been stronger than he was; it made no sense.

"Whatever," he answered, dragging the brunet down the street towards the Buster Sword. It was still sparking with electricity, and this aggravated Cloud. "Now what?" he asked himself, staring at it, dumbfounded.

Leon tuned the blond out, his constant talking beginning to bite at his nerves. It was not even the talking so much, but the fact that he talked to himself was driving him mad. _Crazy_, he concluded, locking his eyes on a wall in an attempt to forget his agony.

"Forget it," the blond told himself, beginning to walk again. He was very attached the sword, but he was certain that nothing would be touching it any time soon. He would just have to get it right after the rain stopped. While he was brooding, it dawned on him that he had not a clue as to where they were going. "Where do you live?" he asked, turning his head to look at the man he was supporting.

"None of your business."

"Then we're going to my place," he concluded, turning down the appropriate road towards the looming apartment building. When he received no complaints in return, he decided that yes, that was where they would go.

-

**Author's Notes**: I can't believe I'm still writing this. Oh boy.

Anyway, my dear reviewers get their responses.

**PyroFirePower **- I'll do whatever I want, girl. You must deal with it. Muaha. Ha. ;D Thanks.

**schu **- Yeah, you know. You know, that part with the evil clown that attacks the toaster. That part inspired chapter four. x) But thank you.

**Yersi Fanel **- Thank you. (: I hope you keep thinking that.

**Shayla Patrice **- Yay, thanks. ;3

Keep reviewing. I will completely quit this fic without reviews.

Also: I've noticed that I have some loyal fans who have yet to review this story. I'm glad you like it enough to have it under your favorites, but could you do me a favor and not leave me in the dust here? I didn't even realize more than six people actually read this. I was pleasantly surprised.


	6. Due to Rain

**Author's Notes**: Here we are again, a month or so later, and all I'm willing to give as a peace offering is a little filler chapter. I'm sorry, but this has to come. It's more focused on the relationship Cloud and Leon currently have, which is a not-so-good one. But hey, we all start somewhere.

This chapter is dedicated to:

**boredperson**, **PyroFirePower**, **Schu**, **Tala's grl Brooklyn's Princess**, **Queen of Happy**, **Yersi Fanel**, **varda101**, **Mahon**, **whatevergirl**, **hoobastank3003**, and last but not least, **Sephiroth's Killer**.

**Warnings**: None really in this chapter, besides attitude problems.

-

"Most people have a harder time letting themselves love than finding someone to love them."

Bill Russell

-

Perhaps there was a reason they had been arguing earlier. They just were not meant to get along.

Cloud, though a private person by nature, spoke more than Leon did. He was also stubborn, except he could be rather dense when it came to noticing the obvious. He was uncomfortable in tense situations and tended to avoid them whenever necessary, though he would jump headlong into a battle if he was for the cause. On top of which, he was highly emotional, even when he attempted to stay reserved.

Leon was a different story. He kept to himself all of the time and seemed to have no one that he opened up to. Equally as stubborn as Cloud, he tended to find himself in plenty of high tension circumstances, none of which phased him. He only fought if he wanted to, even if someone's life was at stake. He feared relationships of any kind, afraid that once he let someone into his life entirely, they would turn around and stab him in the back.

Both of them, however, had a rather mysterious background that was more than tough to dig out of them. Just by looking at them, one would be able to spot the past that was hidden away within them, shared with few and understood by little. They both seemed hollow, missing pieces of themselves within the hours of time past. But even with this common ground, they were butting heads a lot more than one would consider healthy.

"You want to walk on your own? Be my guest." Cloud and Leon had reached the apartment building, standing outside of it in the pouring rain. They were soaked, tired and aggravated, giving them all the more reason to get on the other's nerves.

With a snort, Leon shoved the blond away from him and stood on his own two legs, that was, until his right leg gave out from the wound within it. Instantly wishing that he had not given up his crutch better known as Cloud, he swallowed his tongue and narrowed his eyes accusingly at the blond.

"Don't look at me like that," he answered the look bluntly, crossing his arms and frowning.

They both stood there for a while in a stalemate, waiting for the other to move away. But unable to stand anymore, Leon made his way over to the soaking wet wall and used it for support, keeping a neutral face as he slid his gaze to meet the blond in the rain. The other man was giving him a look, one that Leon understood to be 'I told you so.' As much as he did not want to admit it, Cloud had been right.

"Are you done sulking yet? We need to get out of the rain." As though emphasizing his statement, Cloud ran a pale hand through his hair and stared at it when held it to full length, sighing gently. The rain dripped off of it, rolling onto the stone street and mixing with the dirt.

"I'm not in the rain," Leon pointed out, a bored tone in his voice. It was true; he was under the roof, watching the rain hit Cloud without any sympathy for the man.

Narrowing his eyes, Cloud shot the brunet a look, "You know what I mean."

Leon only shrugged his shoulders, uncaring to whether or not the blond was soaked to the bone. He did not see why it was his problem; Cloud could move if he was having that much of a problem with the rain.

"What? You aren't coming in?"

"No."

Cloud shook his head, walking passed Leon to reach the door to the building. If he wanted to stay outside as wet as he was and die of pneumonia, then that was none of his business. But as he reached out to grab the handle, he withdrew and sighed. For some reason, he was unable to leave the brunet behind in such a situation.

With the rain beating on the ground and thunder rolling by as natural music, Cloud walked back to Leon and stood in front of him, perhaps a bit too close for comfort. "Let's go," he said in a low tone, his patience running thin.

"No," Leon said flatly once more, looking at the blond skeptically.

"Why the hell not?"

"I don't need to go to your apartment. I have my own."

"That's nice. Are you going to hobble there?" Cloud was not amused, and he was, quite clearly, trying to prove a point.

"What do you care?" Leon's eyes were locked on the glowing blues of Cloud's, his hands balling into fists as he resisted shoving the other away. His irritation was noticeable, however.

Cloud brought a hand up to his head, rubbing his temples in annoyance. Leon was not going to budge so soon, but as another streak of lightning struck overhead, the blond decided that it did not matter. Leon was coming whether he liked it or not.

"I'm not going to argue with you. Either go limp your way home, or get in the damned apartment."

Leon stared at Cloud, clearly not understanding where he got off telling him what to do. Since when did Cloud have any authority over him? With that thought, he remained where he was spitefully, which was obviously not appreciated by the other. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was sure that he should not have been picking a fight in his condition.

"You're not staying out here, Leon," Cloud told him sternly, "So make your mind up." But even as he said this, he knew that Leon was not moving anywhere. So with a deep sigh, he grabbed the brunet's arm and draped it over his shoulder, walking right into the apartment despite the man's wiggling and dark threats.

"I don't see what your problem is," the blond started when they finally entered his flat, shutting the door behind him and dropping Leon off at the couch. He then busied himself with the task of finding some towels while the other man sat down and glared at him.

"Quiet," came the answer from the couch, the rich voice of the brunet sounding more than angry by this point. He was attempting to get a look around the small place, but there was a serious lack of light. He wondered if Cloud even realized that his lights were not on, which he did not doubt since Cloud did not come across as the most intelligent person. In the end, he decided that he did not want to know nor care.

Finally, Cloud came back with two towels in hand, stopping his walk right in front of the couch. Then turning to face Leon with precision, he threw one of the cloths roughly at him. "Here." He glared at the brunet before taking his own towel and drying his hair, attempting to keep his mind off of how angry he was.

Leon picked up the towel that was thrown at him and proceeded to take off his bomber jacket, checking to see how waterlogged it was. It was at that moment that he felt a gaze boring into him, and with a sigh of annoyance, he looked to Cloud. "What now?"

Blinking, the younger man turned his head and continued to dry himself, pretending as though he had no idea what Leon was asking him such a question for. But when he felt Leon still staring at him, he managed to say calmly, "Forget it."

The blond honestly had no idea why he had been staring at Leon like that, but he could take a guess. That white shirt was clinging to the man like a second skin, and it showed off quite a bit while it was wet. Needless to say, Leon was good looking, but there was not a chance in the world that he would tell him that. The man already did not like him, and Cloud could only imagine what kind of trouble a comment like that would get him into.

"..." Choosing to ignore whatever Cloud's problem was, he leaned back into the couch and closed his eyes lazily. If he was going to be stuck in the small apartment that seemed to lack electricity, he was going to be comfortable. But with an idiot like the blond around, he was unsure of how long he could remain comfortable.

"I'm going to bed," the blond proclaimed, killing the silence like a knife through the heart. "If you need anything, get it yourself." And with that, he exited the living room and into his own room, shutting the door behind him.

Glaring daggers at the bland white door that Cloud had disappeared behind, he took off his boot and lay himself down on the couch, still wet and irritated. And what seemed like three hours later, Leon drifted into a dreamless sleep.

-

**Author's Notes**: I'll try incredibly hard not to put this story off anymore, but I get so easily preoccupied that it's pathetic. Ah, well. I got to it, all because I love you all so terribly much.

Anyway, I'm sorry that I can't respond to everyone's reviews. I'd love to, but it was about two pages of just responses. So, instead, I hope you all liked my other way to show my appreciation. I did the best I could.

**Author's Notes 4/29/05**: I can't believe what this has come to. I'm not playing around anymore, you guys. I need to know that people are actually reading this. I am not writing this for myself anymore. If you really want to see this go somewhere, you _have_ to review. So, I won't update until I have at least thirty reviews. That's a whole two more. I think you can handle that.

**Thank you schu and PyroFirePower, you've been the best ever, I swear.**


	7. Thieving Bagels

**Author's Notes**: Well, you guys met my demands. Hell, you exceeded my demands. For that, you get another chapter before the beginning of the week. See how simple that was? I really didn't think that I was asking a lot out of you.

I'm sorry if you see words that run together. It's not my fault, I swear it. I keep editting it, but I new ones appear when I fix it. It's the editor thing, not me. I promise you that I'm not _that _stupid.

**Warnings**: Some swearing and suggestive themes.

-

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

**Mother Teresa**

-

The sounds of the door opening drifted through the flat, rousing the brunet on the couch. With his eyes half opened lazily, he rolled over and stared at the front door, watching as Cloud reentered his home. The blond carelessly closed the door, as though he had forgotten about the guest on the couch and stepped further in.

Leon's head buzzed with questions about the blond's sudden entrance. However, the brunet was not the first to speak.

"Good, you're up." The blond narrowed his eyes accusingly at Leon, shifting his gaze towards his leg, "Can you walk?"

Growling a bit, Leon sat himself up and gave Cloud an annoyed look. "I haven't tried yet." He sounded as though he thought Cloud was an idiot, which he did.

"Then try," came the simple answer as Cloud left the room, heading into his little kitchen to search for food. "I've been up for the past three hours, so I took it upon myself to get you some breakfast. You kind of slept through it, but if you still want some, you can have it."

Leon shot a disbelieving look towards the blond as he walked back into the room with a brown bag in hand, offering it to him. Had he forgotten that they did not get along previously? It was a kind gesture, but he truly had not been expecting it.

"They're bagels. I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I got a few. Pick one, two, or the whole thing. I really don't care." Sitting down on the couch beside him, Cloud glanced at the broken coffee table that he had dragged back to the center of the room that morning. He had repaired it as best as he could, using super glue, duct tape, and a few magazines piled up as a foot. "I'm not sure how stable this is," he told him honestly as he set the bag down on the cracked surface, "But I think it should be okay."

Leon shook his head slowly, raising a brow as he asked, "Where were you?"

"Just now?" Cloud shrugged a bit, "Getting electricity. Check it out." Glowing with pride, he stood up and walked to the front door, clicking the light switch beside it. The ceiling fan began to spin on command, and Cloud gestured to it, "See?"

"..." Rolling his eyes, Leon leaned back on the couch and shook his head, unable to believe how incredibly strange this other was. Sure, he had thought he was from the beginning, but this took the cake. "Amazing."

"I know," came the smug answer, even though Cloud heard the sarcasm that laced the brunet's words. He truly did not care, considering that he knew it was a positive thing. Electricity in his home opened a whole new world for him. He could buy cold food and store them away, see when it was dark, and vacuum the carpet. These were just a few of what all he could do, and for this, he prided himself.

Leon ignored the comment, spotting his gunblade leaning on the wall next to Cloud's sword. He then decided that the blond was not incredibly stupid; he had not forgotten about his blade in the rain. With his memory slowly kicking back into speed, he shifted his eyes to the window to see that the clouds had dispersed, and that it was no longer raining. Instead, it seemed to be beautiful outside.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he noticed that the blond was staring at him, giving him an odd sort of look. It seemed as though he wanted to know what was running through Leon's head. Naturally, Leon said nothing and just returned the look.

"So," Cloud started, looking down at the brown bag, "Are you going to eat or not? I don't have anything to put on it, since I just got a working refrigerator, but they're not so bad plain."

With a shrug, Leon took the bag and looked in it to see what kind of bagels Cloud had bought. There was nothing too exciting within it, but he felt as though he wanted nothing more than a plain one. Grabbing what he had chosen, he began to eat it, staring blankly at the wall in front of him.

"I should get a TV," Cloud muttered, walking over to his red chair and sitting himself in it. From his position, he got a clear view of his door, the couch, and an empty spot that was screaming to be filled by a television screen. His company was not very exciting and he needed something to do; he was not about to leave the man alone in his home.

_He needs to stop talking to himself._ Leon continued to eat, ignoring the other's presence entirely. He felt that it was not his job to speak with him and get to know him, but it did not seem as though the blond was going to let it remain quiet.

After five minutes of Cloud attempting to converse with Leon, he let the silence fall over them once more. The silence was uncomfortable, though there was nothing he could do. The brunet was avoiding him like the plague, not even acknowledging him anymore when he spoke. Not only was it getting on his nerves, but it was making befriending him entirely too difficult.

A knock on the door sounded, in a beat which the knocker must have found to be cute. The blond was able to recognize the sound anywhere, and he instantly stood up to let them in. The moment he had his hand on the doorknob, the door swung opened as the person made their entrance as noticeable as possible.

"Cloud! You didn't tell me you were here!" Cloud was locked in a bone crushing hug by a petite brunette with a wide grin on her face. She was enjoying causing the other discomfort.

"Hey, Yuffie." Pushing her away, he stared at her with a half smile, "How'd you find me?"

"With my amazing x-ray vision, Spiky!" She clapped her hands together, giving him an innocent look. The look was nothing more than an awful lie, of course, but the thief enjoyed pretending that she was an angel. She then noticed Leon sitting on the couch, giving her that look that he always gave her when she said something like she had, and the look bothered her. "And you have Leon over! Aw, are you guys friends?"

"Hardly," Cloud answered coolly, shutting the door and looking to Leon. "The heartless took a nice swing at his leg, so I brought him here last night."

Yuffie began to giggle, nudging the blond in the gut with her elbow. "What did you guys do last night?"

Leon snorted from the couch, leaning into the cushions once more to get comfortable.

Cloud, on the other hand, did not like what she was suggesting and was more than willing to say so. "Yeah right." Contradicting himself, the slightest of blushes had dusted onto his face, barely visible on his pale complexion.

"Denial," Yuffie sang with a grin. However, she changed the subject dramatically once she spotted the brown bag on the haphazardous coffee table. "Someone bag a lunch?" Bounding over to it, she swiftly snatched it up and looked into it, avoiding Cloud's hand as he attempted to snatch it back from her. "Hey, bagels!" She then helped herself to one, dropping the bag back onto the table with a loud 'thunk'.

"Yeah, Yuffie, you can have one," Cloud drawled with a sigh, picking up the bag and taking it back to the kitchen.

"How bad is that leg, Squally?" the thief asked, munching on the bagel in contentment. She received nothing but a shrug as an answer, which made her poke the warrior's knee. He swatted at her hand, and she beamed. "Well?"

"I haven't checked," he told her, his aggravation notable in his voice.

"Check," both Cloud and Yuffie chorused, making Leon quirk a brow.

"Up!" the girl commanded, grabbing his wrist and tugging on him. That did nothing but make him pull back, getting out of her grasp easily. "Come on! We have to see if we need to cut it off!"

"Don't cut his leg off in my house, okay?" Cloud asked as he reentered the living room, a glass of water in his hands, "You'll stain the carpet."

Yuffie only nodded, grabbing Leon's wrist once more in attempt to get him up. "Don't be so stubborn. How're you going to know unless you put some pressure on it?"

Once again, in reflex, Leon pulled his wrist away. He then glared at her, daring her silently to try that again.

Wisely, the brunette did not grab him again, but instead, she tried a new tactic. She walked over to the two swords leaning on the wall, and expertly snatched the gunblade. Then, giving the man on the couch an irritating smile, she darted out of the door.

Her plan worked.

Leon was off of the couch and out of the door after her almost as fast as she had left, chasing her down the stairs and out of the building, catching up with her after a while. When he came on her heels, he snatched her by the arm and swung her around to face him, his rage flickering in the back of his eyes. "Give it to me," he commanded in a low growl, entirely humorless.

"Your leg works!" Yuffie squeaked triumphantly, giving him his weapon back slowly.

"I don't care."

Cloud stood in the archway of the apartment building, laughing at Leon's reaction. He was so incredibly tense, and Cloud had absolutely no idea how he had managed to survive around some of his old friends. The man could not have possibly gotten along with them, he reasoned.

"I want another bagel," Yuffie exclaimed as she rushed passed Cloud and back into the apartment complex, bouncing up the stairs and running right back into his room.

Knowing better than to leave the little thief in his house alone, the blond followed behind her, leaving Leon to do the same. He did not have to follow, but he had chosen to. Perhaps he enjoyed the torture?

"Don't touch that!" Cloud barked, catching the girl in the act of looking into his wallet.

"Something in there you don't want me to see?" Yuffie beamed, looking into all of the pockets for anything of value.

The blond plucked it out of her hands, pocketing it with a frown on his face. "Don't take it upon yourself to look through my stuff. No, you can't have any of it, and yes, I will kill you if you steal anything from me."

"So rude," she commented, pouting.

"Whatever." Cloud began to walk towards his chair once more, picking up the glass that he had set down.

"You know what? I'm going! There was no money in there anyway!" Stomping her feet, she left the apartment, but not before snatching another bagel from the bag.

"Like I would leave my money sitting around like that?" Cloud shook his head, reclining into his chair as Leon walked back in. Offering him a look, he asked, "Forgotten something?"

The brunet instantly turned around, taking note of his horrible mistake of coming back into the flat. The blond was quicker than he was though, shutting the door before he got the chance to leave. "What?"

Glaring, Cloud shoved Leon into the wall, placing his hands on either side of his head. He had him pinned, leaning close to him as he growled out, "Son of a bitch. You're so damned ungrateful. I took time out of my life to help you, and you don't even begin to thank me."

Leon returned the glare, though he was entirely uncomfortable with the blond so close to him. He did not fight him out of the way however, which he found odd for himself.

"You don't even care, do you?" Cloud asked roughly, pressing himself closer to the brunet.

"I don't," he breathed out, keeping his gaze as even as he could. He found his thoughts elsewhere, and it was bothering him. What did he care if the man was so close to him? But if he did not care, why was he focused so intently on the blond's lips?

"You even admit it," the blond hissed between his teeth, the rage radiating off of him like a lit fire.

In order to settle the spat, Leon closed the distance between them by pressing his lips roughly on the other's, taking Cloud by complete surprise. His blue eyes were wide in shock, but he found himself returning the kiss with just as much force.

It was a kiss of dominance, as though their argument was being thrown into it. There was a blaze within it, the anger and disagreement taking toll of the situation. They were battling, getting on each other's last nerve.

Leon took Cloud's bottom lip between his teeth and bit down, receiving a satisfying response of a shiver. It was then that the battle began to die, as the blond became more and more submissive to the other.

They were unaware of two pairs of eyes watching them.

-

**Author's Notes**: All I really need to say is that I'm not a Squffie fan, so I'm sorry about that. And also, brunet is not spelled incorrectly. If I'm remembering French right (I take Spanish), there's feminine and masculine in the language. Brunet and blond are masculine, whereas brunette and blonde are feminine. They're not English words. Taking into account that Leon is a guy, he would be a brunet. I, on the other hand, would be a brunette. See? But thanks for the help. ;D

And so you know, their relationship is not going anywhere. They are not in love, and they don't really like each other much.

Thank you to **Schu**, **PyroFirePower**, **boredperson**, **bladegryphon**, **Cherrii**, and **AngelKairi**. I appreciate your thoughts so much!

This story will be held ransom until I get a certain number of reviews. However, this time, I won't tell you how many. You'll just have to review and hope that I get enough. But don't fret, I'm not thinking of a number over ten more reviews. I'm more realistic than that.


	8. Aftermath

**Author's Notes**: Damn. I asked for a couple of reviews and got nine. That makes me so happy, you realize? You guys so rock my world. I mean, I get so happy when I see that I've gotten a review or two, but nine? That has to be the best I've ever done. And this story is definitely my best one, which is kind of sad, but whatever. Considering that I'm not exactly old and wise, I think I'm doing fairly well.

This chapter is dedicated to:

**ria-baalinda**, **bladegryphon**, **PyroFirePower**, **Schu**, **Lain of the Weird**, **angie**, **Mahon**, **Hoobastank3003**, and **hikari-enzeru**.

**Warnings**: Mild themes and swearing.

-

How is it that one minute you can have total control of your own actions, and the next you find yourself at the mercy of another's? The thought itself is one that should be discarded on the fly, and yet, at the same time, it happens incredibly often, more so than it should.

Cloud shuddered, finding that the positions had switched and he was the one against the wall. Leon had his wrists pinned and was staring at him dangerously. His eyes flickered with malice, enough to make the blond attempt to free himself out of fear.

"You want a damn apology?" the brunet asked him, both roughly and breathlessly. "I didn't do anything. You were the fucking moron who brought me here and took care of me. I didn't ask for your help."

"I could have left you there," Cloud offered, his eyes straying to the floor as he did his best to avoid eye contact. "But I didn't. I thought that--"

"You didn't think anything," Leon interrupted, his tone dropping temperature as his emotions died on command. "You have no idea what you're doing."

There was no response from the blond as he lowered his head, attempting to pull his wrists back from the other man's tight grasp. He had thought that by helping the man, he would have been doing him a favor. If that was so, then why did he feel as though he had hurt him in some way? Sure, Leon did not ask for help, but he had the strange suspicion that even if he needed it, he would not have asked.

The gray eyes of the other man were still locked on Cloud, despite the fact that he was not looking at him in return. He would have forced him to, but he did not feel as though it was his job to make the blond do anything at all.

"Let go," the younger finally breathed out, struggling no longer. "I'm sorry that I helped you. It was a fucking waste of my time."

Leon released him, taking a few steps back to give him a slow nod, "Yes, it was."

"Get out." Cloud pointed at the door, his glowing eyes once more meeting the gaze of the brunet. They flashed vehemently, daring the man to question him. Fortunately, the other man complied and brushed passed him, not contributing another word to the heavy tension.

Right as he was heading out of the door, he heard the blond give him final words. "I hope you die." And with that, the door was slammed behind him, leaving him in the hallway of the complex.

Unable to figure out why, Leon felt a pang of guilt course through him. Surely what he had done was rude, but did he really have to find himself caring whether or not he may have done the wrong thing? It was not his problem that the blond did not like him. For all he cared, he could go die as well. And yet, for some reason unknown to him, he knew that he was lying to himself.

With a heavy sigh, he shook his head and left the building, leaving Cloud behind. No matter what regret he felt, he was not going to turn back and apologize. He was done with the blond.

-

"Oh, that looked painful."

"One strike."

Cloud stood stalk still, saying absolutely nothing in response to what he knew was coming. His eyes were narrowed perilously, waiting for the two minions of Hades to continue demeaning him. He deserved it.

"I don't remember the boss telling us to watch him fail miserably, do you?"

"No."

His wing unfolded, flaring out to make him look dangerous as he swiftly turned around. Two demons stared up at him, grinning their sharp grins as they tactfully continued to talk about him in the middle of his living room.

"Hades is not going to like this at all." Pain turned his eyes back to his companion, looking thrilled by this information. Cloud had messed up big time, and there was not any way around it. "I wonder if he's in a good mood?"

"Even if he was," started Panic, "he wouldn't be when we came back and told him how Spiky's doing." He chuckled mischievously, ignoring the shadow of the man as it drew ever closer.

"True, true." Pain put his fingertips together and side-glanced the blond man, watching as he literally flashed with anger. This pleased him; the plump demon basked in the fact that Cloud was aware of what he had done.

"Why am I not surprised to see you two?" Finally, Cloud had spoken. His tone was lacking enthusiasm, sounding incredibly bored by the situation. "Is Hades really that impatient?"

"Think he told you that we'd be coming," Pain said with another devious look, nudging his green partner. This made the other nod in agreement, which made Pain continue. "He said that you should really be working on your project and he didn't want you to slack off."

"I don't 'slack off'," Cloud explained slowly, giving them an accusing look.

"He also said," Panic stuttered out, "that you were likely to bother Leon and make him hate you."

"Looks like you accomplished that," Pain added with a curt smile.

The blond puffed out his chest indignantly, unable to stand for what they were attempting to do to him. "So then tell him that. It's not over yet. I still have time. It isn't over yet."

"Oh, isn't it?" The purple imp gave him a knowing look, "Because it sure looks like it is to me."

"It shouldn't look that way," Cloud hissed at him. "I have everything under control."

"Because you showed so much control just now?"

"Isn't everything the antonym to nothing?" Panic laughed, "They don't mean the same thing."

"Whatever," the warrior sighed out, sitting down on his couch and kicking up his feet on the damaged coffee table, "Just go away. I know what I'm doing."

"Whatever you say, Blondie," Pain smirked, grabbing Panic by the arm. By doing this, he startled the other, causing him to jump nervously and skitter around the room. "Panic! Come on. We're leaving."

"Coming," the green minion cried back uneasily, coming to a halt beside his colleague and nodding shortly, "Okay, okay. Let's go!"

Both of the demons disappeared in a puff of black smoke, leaving the blond to brood silently. They really did get on his nerves, and they never failed to piss him off. It was almost as they they thrived in his absolute annoyance as they rubbed everything in his face, and this alone was enough to loathe their very existence.

One thought about what they had said stuck out in his mind. How did he plan on fixing the problem that had just recently been created? He prayed that he was not supposed to go and apologize to Leon, especially when the brunet was the one who had made a fuss in the first place. It was not like Cloud had just went and started something, because after all, he had been the one who helped him when his leg was hurt, and he was the one who let him stay. But at the same time, Leon was not a freeloader. It was not like he was begging to stay or eating his food without it being offered. And when Cloud thought more about it, he did not even seem like he wanted to be there at all.

A frustrated sigh came from him as he brought his hands to his head, rubbing his temples to calm the headache that was threatening to ensue. Everything just seemed so hard to understand about that man. He truly was a mystery in every way possible, and Cloud found himself unable to thoroughly identify with him. He was cold, he did not seem like he appreciated anything that the blond had done for him and worse yet, Cloud realized that he enthralled by the other.

Cloud was screwed.

Perhaps it was the fact that they had kissed that ignited his fascination. The way that he had him pinned to the wall and the way that his eyes glinted, his lips on his own, forceful and demanding, all the while hungry and wanting answers.

_Fuck. Why me? _Cloud groaned in all of his frustration, collapsing on his side and into the cushions of the couch.

-

"He did what?" Hades roared, listening as his two best minions babbled about Cloud's progress, or the lack thereof.

"They kissed and everything! But then Leon stormed out and Cloud told him to die and--"

"Enough!" The god's fires flared, turning a harsh red with his anger. It was then he seemed to hear all that had been said, and a demonic smile wrapped on his face. "They kissed?"

"If you could call it that," Pain told him apprehensively, wringing his hands together as Panic cowered behind him. "It was more like they were trying to bite each other to death."

"But they kissed?" Hades asked again, his golden eyes flickering.

"Yeah, they kissed. But Hades--"

The god held up a hand and promptly stopped the demon's sentence. This was perfect, exactly what was needed to make this all the more fun. It was a heartfelt love story in the making, and still Cloud would betray the lion as the fates had predicted. They had given him a warning, but he brushed it aside. Everything would go as planned.

"Let the games begin."

-

**Author's Notes**: Well, thank you all for the reviews. I already said how I feel about them. I get that big, stupid grin on my face when I read them. I mean, if you've never written a story on here then you don't know how important getting reviews is. So, you all got a dedication. For some of you, that's two whole dedications. Wow. I'm such a nice person. Rofl.

Until next time!


	9. Ace in the Hole

**Author's Notes**: Wow, this took a while. I'm sorry, I'm a major procrastinator. I figured that I could get this out before finals if I really tried, so I pushed myself a bit and here I am. I hope it makes up for the few weeks, and if it doesn't, well, then, sorry.

To **Lain of the Weird**, **Schu**, **Mahon**, **AngelKairi**, **Baroness D**, **boredperson**, **Chaos-Empersonified**, **hikari-enzeru**, **Salki**, **queen of happy**, **Yersi Fanel**, **Tolea**, **Hoobastank3003**, **PyroFirePower**, **Tama-Kitsune**, **Kyle Begay**, **Kiimahaku Akari**, **yllom21**, **Iris Night-Eye**, and **Ickis Krumm** . . . thanks for all the reviews! You've been great and I love you all!

I have to say, though: don't feel bad, AngelKairi. I didn't mean to make you feel guilty, I was only saying. I did appreciate the thought of correcting me, though. Don't worry!

And Kyle Begay, if you use my idea ('but mold it into your own image'), I ask that you give me some kind of credit. Thanks for giving me a heads-up, and I'm glad you like it enough to want to use it, too.

**Warnings**: None really.

-

You've got to have an ace in the hole  
A little secret that nobody knows  
Life is a gamble a game we all play  
But you need to save something for a rainy day  
You've got to learn to play your cards right  
If you expect to win in life  
Don't put it all on the line for just one roll  
You've got to have an ace in the hole

**George Strait**

"Ace in the Hole"

-

Cloud had his fist hovering in the air in preparation to knock on a red door. He was pondering over his actions, deciding that he could still back out if he so wished to.

He had found himself in this position due to an earlier event which had taken place. Cloud had decided that he needed decent advice, so who did he turn to? Aerith always had the answer to these types of problems, so naturally he had approached her and asked how he could amend the damage he had done. Her advice had been simple enough; go to his house and apologize. This was three days ago.

After much procrastination, he was standing in front of the door to Leon's apartment thanks to complimentary directions that came along with the advice for no extra cost. But he found himself questioning his actions, wondering if it was even worth it anymore. With enough luck, Cloud could protect everyone from harm and be on his merry way, but the wing embedded in his back did not allow that. The black, feathery appendage seemed to have picked up a new trick—it burned every time he even thought about walking away. This burning sensation would sear at his back, blinding his vision out of sheer pain.

"Come on, Cloud!" Oh, and he had his own cheerleader. Yuffie had decided to take it upon herself to follow him, making sure he actually got the job done. She was waiting around the corner, peering around every now and then to check for progress, of which she found none.

Sighing, he knocked on the door. He knew he would regret this later.

Sounds of movement came from behind the door and after a few short moments, it opened to reveal Leon. At first he looked puzzled by Cloud's appearance at his doorstep, but he let the expression die into an annoyed look. "What is it?"

"Hi," Cloud started lamely, crossing his arms in a pre-defensive manner. "Look, I just wanted to apologize for," he paused. Wait, why was he apologizing? Leon was the one who pulled the smart ass apathetic routine. Should he not be the one apologizing? "…" The blond promptly narrowed his eyes and gave the man an accusing look.

Leon returned the look with an impassive one of his own before taking a step back and shutting the door in his face.

Cloud looked surprised by the action and dropped his defensive stance, his fists pulsing in aggravation. "Bastard," he growled, looking ready to kick the door in fury. He was pushed out of the way before he was able to do anything, looking to see Yuffie standing where he had been, a determined look plastered onto her expressive face. She then proceeded to bang on the door with enough force to shake it.

"Squall Leonhart!" she yelled, "Get out here right now before I come in after you!" When there did not seem to be any response, she held her hand out to Cloud, "Give me your sword. I'm busting in!"

Cloud stared at her, tilting his head a bit in confusion, "What?"

"Give me your sword, Cloud!" Yuffie ordered again, stomping her foot with impatience.

There was a click and creaking noise, and there stood Leon looking all but happy. Obviously, he was in no mood to fix a busted door. "What the hell is with you people?" he asked roughly, raising a hand to massage the bridge of his nose.

Yuffie instantly poked him in the chest, her other hand resting on her hip. "Now you listen here, mister. Cloud was here apologizing to you and you just shut the door in his face! What the hell is wrong with us? What's wrong with _you_?"

Leon frowned deeply, not willing to play those games with the young ninja. He grabbed her by the wrist and pushed her back a bit, "Just leave me the fuck alone."

Cloud stood up straight, his eyes shifting between the two before he finally sighed. "Leon," he started, his tone sounding distressed, "I'm sorry. I don't know what I did to piss you off like that but I'm sorry anyway."

The brunet gave him a sharp look, something working behind his cold eyes. His lips remained in their frown, scrutinizing Cloud without a hint of empathy. "You don't know what you did?" he echoed.

"I know I made you mad," was the answer, "But I really am sorry." He was such a liar; he was not sorry at all. In fact, in all honesty, he could not care any less.

"Decent, but not very good," Yuffie evaluated the apology with a shake of her head. "So, Leon, you accept it, don't you?"

"No," he answered flatly.

"Yes you do!" she argued instantly, the anger highly noticeable on her features.

Leon was ready to shut the door again. "No, I don't."

"Squall," Yuffie whined, "Just accept it and move on with your life. You can't hold a grudge against him forever. Cloud didn't mean to make you mad, he's just stupid sometimes."

Cloud shot her a look, "Excuse me?"

Apparently, she did not hear him. "Let it go, okay?"

"Why?" Leon asked finally, his impassive stare never wavering.

"Well, because," she fumbled, "he, uh, wants you to?" She finally seemed to remember Cloud's presence and side stepped to stand next to him, nudging him in the gut with uncertainty, "Right?"

With another sigh, Cloud rejoined the conversation, "Right." Forgetting his pride, if only for this time, he explained, "I was hoping that we could get passed that. I need a sparring partner…"

Leon quirked a brow and shook his head, "You want me to be your sparring partner?" When he received a nod in return, he fell into silence. He seemed to be mentally debating it, which Yuffie noted was entirely predictable. Leon never said anything until he had made a complete decision and he never wavered on it.

"Fine," he agreed at length. "Go to gym in the third district in an hour," and with that concluding statement, he walked back into his home and shut the door, leaving the two in the hallway without another word.

Cloud sent a side glance to Yuffie and furrowed his brows, wondering what that was about. He had not expected him to actually agree to it, though he could not say that he was disappointed. "Okay then," he breathed out, shaking his head and beginning his trudge towards the exit.

Yuffie followed after him, smiling widely. With her hands clasped behind her back, she fell into step with Cloud and beamed up at him, giggling gently.

"What?" he asked, tilting his head to one side.

"Cloud has a date," she teased.

He quirked a brow, "People dating don't usually want to practice inflicting harm upon the other."

"Yeah," she agreed with a mischievous grin, "But you and Leon are different than usual."

Cloud only shook his head and opened the glass door to leave, Yuffie still on his heels. He then began to head towards his own apartment, though the girl did not turn to part with him.

"I think it's cute," she pointed out, "that he actually likes you enough to want to spar. Leon's hard to understand sometimes but I think you have a chance with him."

"I never said that I wanted to date him, Yuffie. Remember that," he explained with a frown as he tossed her an exasperated stare.

"I think you should." She jumped in front of him, blocking his path, "You two are perfect for each other. You both have problems, you're both really annoying and you both like to fight."

Cloud looked dumbfounded, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well," she grinned, "Nothing. I just think that since you two have some common ground, you can work off of that. Leon's been through some bad stuff and I think that you can help him out. You've been through some awful things, too, and he needs someone to sympathize with him, not pity him. We don't all understand like you would, so maybe if you got him to tell you, you'd see what I mean." Yuffie looked at him with wisdom and maturity flickering in her eyes, "You two can work through everything together."

He shook his head and stepped around her, heading along the cobblestone street to ignore any further conversation. However, Yuffie had other plans.

"You're not as independent as you think you are, Cloud. You aren't stable alone," she told him before he was out of earshot. She did not bother to express any further feelings she had because she knew that Cloud would think about what she had said. There was no need to say anything more.

With a smile, she turned around and walked lightly in the direction of the third district, ready to report to Aerith. There was still a lot that needed to be done.

-

Step, hack, block, jab, pivot, spin, swipe.

The two warriors mimicked the other's steps, dancing to the metallic songs of their weapons meeting forcefully. They swayed, swung and stymied one another with strength and agility. Together they created hypnotic movements that had attracted quite a crowd. Both were extremely well trained, and it showed from both their form and precision.

Their muscles rippled from the extensive usage, their heavy weapons meeting repeatedly in their deadly dance. It was morbidly beautiful, erotic even. It took a high amount of energy and work and the results left you hungry for more.

The crowd stared in awe at the two dueling men. The broad sword once again hit the gunblade with a high-pitched, resounding _shtang_, and the two men were instantly locked in a power struggle. Both were baring their teeth, pushing against the other blade as their knuckles turned white from force.

Cloud must have blinked and missed it; his sword was no longer in his hands and Leon's blade was touching the sensitive skin on his exposed throat. He drew in a sharp breath and met the stormy eyes of the brunet, taking a step back and nodding to him, "Good job."

"Stay awake," Leon commanded, "You lost focus too easily."

Cloud picked up his buster sword and frowned. They had fought for a good hour or so and it was amazing that either of them had any energy left. Both of their chests were heaving in exhaustion, but they were both still standing no matter how tired they were. It had been a good spar as far as Cloud was concerned; he only hoped that the other realized that as well.

"I didn't do that badly," the blond said in quiet defense.

Leon only spared him a look before he sheathed Lionheart. His eyes were mildly hazed, making it obvious to Cloud that he had truly not done that badly. That sort of look was one that only a warrior got after a challenging battle, a look that the blond was quite sure he was wearing himself.

The crowd that had gathered whispered amongst themselves, commenting on both of the men and their amazing abilities. Neither of the men seemed to notice, however, as they collected their belongings and headed out of the door. They walked in silence together, regarding each other with glances until they reached the second district. There they would get prepared to part ways, but Cloud stopped in the center of the main street and looked to Leon. The brunet was already walking away, but soon he stopped as well. He then turned to look at the blond, giving him a short nod, "Tomorrow; same time."

Cloud nodded in return, offering Leon a short wave before he turned around and disappeared into his apartment building. They were bonding somehow, he could feel it.

"Only a matter of time," he told himself darkly, shutting the door behind him. Tomorrow would be another day; another chance at befriending the lion. He really had the ace in the hole and soon all of the pieces would fall into place. This was his game now.

-

**Author's Notes**: I'll try and update this more often, and since summer's soon enough, I should have enough spare time to keep this going. Thanks for the encouragement!

Please keep reviewing! My goal is to get 100 reviews . . . at some point.


	10. Golden Key

**Author's Notes**: I actually started to write this the day after I uploaded 9, but I stopped midway through and did not get back to it until now. Well, this is actually a decent sized chapter and it's quite the transition. And also: this is officially the longest time I've spent on one story. And for the first time in my history off I actually reached the double digit numbers!

And for anyone who noticed, I had a minor copy-and-paste issue in chapter two. Here's to recap for you: Leon had the key; Leon goes to Cid's Shop; Cloud walks in; Leon and Cloud fight; Cloud leaves; Cloud finds key. Ta-da.

Anyway,my heart belongs to: **Lain of the Weird**, **Queen of Happy**, **Schu**, **hikari-enzeru**, **yllom21**, **boredperson**, **Hobbastank3003**, **Major Misprint**, **Salki**, **Yersi Fanel**,** Kuroi Neko-kun**, **Tolea** and **Kyle Begay**.

-

"A golden key will open every lock."

**Yiddish Proverb**

-

Five days of spar after spar. They met up everyday at the same time in the gym, fighting so often that they had begun to master each other's technique. Their battles became faster paced and exciting, leaving them more room to do special moves in attempt to add a bit of flavor to their training. Their spars had even grown increasingly longer and fairly soon they were there for three hours heaving, sweating and aching.

Cloud stood in the second district to wait for Leon. This had been routine for the past three days: they would meet on the main street by a bench near the Gizmo Shop, walk together to the gym and begin their spar. After the spar was finished, they would walk back and go to Cloud's apartment for refreshments and minor conversation. Leon would soon leave and Cloud would not see him again until the next day.

Cloud was definitely making progress. He and the brunet were friends for the most part, though they tended to remain silent when they were together. But still, Cloud was positive that they were friends which meant that he was achieving his goal.

His glowing gaze swept around for Leon as he waited patiently. He could almost set his watch by when the other would show up. Ten seconds, nine seconds, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one…there he was! Cloud shook the thought out of his head, giving the man a short wave in greeting.

"We're not going to the gym," Leon told Cloud, ignoring the look on the blond's face. "Come with me."

He blinked in wonder but followed along nonetheless as Leon led him in the opposite direction. He felt the urge to ask, but he as fairly sure that the question would only annoy the brunet. Silently, he found himself in step with Leon as they headed towards the first district. A sharp turn confused the blond further than he was, a door that he had never noticed before in full view.

Leon turned to Cloud and gave him a half nod before opening the door and disappearing behind it. When Cloud was beside him again he noticed the blond looking around as though he had entered an art gallery full of abstract paintings. He supposed he should tell Cloud their location, "We're in the back alley of the first district."

"Oh," was the intelligent answer he received. Leon just sighed and stepped into the water a step below. "What are you doing?"

The brunet only gestured for him to follow before heading through the dark tunnel which the water streamed from. He saw Cloud give the water a reluctant stare before jumping in after him. The sounds of water being pushed let Leon now that the blond was indeed following him.

Walking onto the landing, he ignored the water that clung to his leather, both boots and pants, and waited for the other.

"We can spar here," Leon explained and pulled out his gunblade.

"Why?"

"No crowd," was the simple answer.

That was true. There would no longer be a crowd in amazement or the risk of hitting a bystander, but why this place? Deciding that there had to be a specific reason for being in the waterway, Cloud left it alone.

The spar began shortly thereafter. Their weapons spun, shining with pride as the dim light hit the metal. They pushed themselves, recovering after heavy blows, blocking hits and attempting to fake the other out. The dance of death was more powerful today; a passion was there that had not been between them previously.

Cloud had a feeling that his being in the waterway was a privilege and that not everyone got to come down here. He was unsure of how he knew it, but he felt it.

A heavy strike at Leon's weapon sent him back. Before he was able to regain himself, Cloud struck again, ramming his shoulder into the brunet's chest to cause him to collapse. Then, with the tiniest of smirks, the blond managed to get Lionheart out of Leon's grip and put the flat side of his Buster Sword against the man's throat.

This spar had lasted an hour. It was not the first time Cloud came out victorious, for they had been switching the winners repeatedly. Together they made a great team, it seemed.

Withdrawing his sword, Cloud picked up Lionheart and went to hand it back to Leon. "It's a nice weapon," the blond commented when Leon took it from him. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"Not a lot of people use gunblades," he explained with a half-hearted shrug.

"Any specific reason?" was the counter question.

"They're hard to use."

"That makes sense, then." Cloud let his eyes scan the waterway, taking in the little details such as the stairwell directly behind the brunet. Where did those lead?

Leon nodded a bit, sheathing the weapon. He mentally scolded himself for losing so easily, running through the fight in his mind to find what through him off. The smaller man seemed to have found strength out of thin air and he had used that adrenaline rush to push him back. Leon frowned, he should have recovered quicker.

"We're going to my place today," he stated simply, walking towards the stairs. (1)

"Okay," Cloud obediently followed behind him.

It was not long at all before they were sitting on Leon's couch with glasses of icy water, quenching their dreadful thirst. They were doing nothing more than relaxing, sitting in a companionable silence. There was nothing to be said presently as their minds replayed the past few days.

A knock at the door killed the silence as Leon reluctantly stood up. The moment he answered it, he turned to look at Cloud, his brows furrowed in obvious annoyance. "Hold on," he told the blond before he exited his house.

Cloud frowned, tilting his head to one side as he wondered what was going on. It must have been important if the brunet was willing to leave Cloud alone in his house. So he had gained his trust? A small smile graced the blond's pink lips as he stood up, placing his cup on the end table.

Absently, his eyes grazed the room he was in order to take in every detail there was. He had never been in Leon's home previously and he doubted if he would ever come back. This made him decide to wander around; he hoped to gain more information on the other warrior by checking out his items.

There were bland lamps sitting on his tables and a creamy, off-white carpet sitting on the hardwood floor. Absolutely no pictures framed the room or sat along the white shelves, giving Cloud no look into his past. There was nothing too eye catching; no bold colors, sparkling antiques or anything of the like. It was…boring.

"Come on, Leon. You can't be serious?" he breathed out, painfully rolling his eyes at the plainness of his house. But something caught his eye, causing him to slowly walk up to it. It was a brown box with gold leafed around the edges. An intricate design of a heart was carved into the top, thorny vines swirling down the sides. It looked so out of place sitting on the windowsill beside the off-white curtains, but what was even more attention grabbing was the heavy golden lock sealing it shut. Something important was in there.

Cloud was not usually one to snoop but his curiosity was at a high. If Leon had gone out of his way to lock it, then there must have been something important within. Now he just needed the key to it and he could see what was inside. There was only one problem: he did not have a clue as to where the key would be. Naturally, the first place his gaze met was a rack by the entrance but he did not find any signs of a key.

He frowned; Leon must have had the key with him. Frustrated, he sat back down on the couch, putting his head in the palm of his hand. "Damn it. Why can't you be stupid?" he asked the air, though Leon would surely not respond.

As soon as he let the home fall back into silence, his hand lowered into his pocket. It grabbed something metal and pulled it out, holding it in front of Cloud's face. It was the key he had found about a week ago. The metallic golden color shined in the light, causing the blond's eyes to narrow.

Curiously, he stepped back over to the box and placed the key in the lock. To his surprise, the key fit perfectly. With a single turn and a click, the lock was off of the box. Like a wave of the ocean tide, Cloud felt as though he was going to die from anticipation as he opened the box…

…To find nothing inside.

"What?" he hissed, the glowing blues of his eyes sparking with angry electricity, "No way!" Leon was a wonder that was for sure. "Who puts a lock on an empty box?"

Cloud felt like the biggest moron to ever live and this did nothing but frustrate him more. He then threw the lock into the box and heard an awkward thud. He looked back at the box in puzzlement, finding that the velvety bottom had lifted on one side. His pale hand reached in and touched it, causing it to fall back into a flat position. Realization drew onto his features as he lifted the bottom from the box to find a secret compartment.

The blond let out a laugh, finding that he was acting like a child. He should not have been dwelling on a box in the first place, let alone digging through Leon's personal belongings. Still, though, he had to look into it now that it was opened and revealed.

Pictures littered the bottom of the box, a necklace sitting in the corner. Quirking a brow, Cloud picked up the photos and filed through them. He saw a slightly younger version of Leon standing in a group of people whom he did not recognize. A pretty brunette had her arm wrapped around Leon's neck, a large smile on her face as she looked to be waving to the camera. Another picture was of a couple consisting of a man in a cowboy hat and a short girl with flipped hair. After that was a few more pictures of people he did not know, but what he found himself staring at was one of Leon beside a tall looking blond with a scar similar to the brunet's, except the blond's was mirror opposite. Cloud dropped the other pictures back into the box and flipped it over, reading the faded cursive in blue ink. Two names curled around the white: Squall and Seifer.

Squall—that was what Yuffie had called Leon before. That must have been his name. Logically, then the blond man in the picture was Seifer. Cloud found himself wondering what that man was to Leon. In the picture, 'Squall' was trying to pry himself away from the large blond's grasp around his shoulders. Seifer seemed to be amused by the situation while Squall only looked playfully annoyed.

Cloud shook his head and put the photo down, looking to the silver choker curled in the corner. He lifted it up seeing that it was a heavy, linked chain. There was a name carved into it, one that he recognized as the blond from the picture. 'Seifer Almasy' was inscribed in the silver; Cloud nearly dropped it in surprise. He then picked the photo back up and inspected it, seeing that, sure enough, the blond was wearing that same choker.

If Leon had Seifer's choker, then what had happened to the blond man? Cloud barely had any time to contemplate it when he heard the door open behind him. He was caught and he knew he was, especially when there was a deafening silence screeching through the room. It was unnerving, but it was no where near as striking as the tone Leon used when he finally spoke.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

-

1) I didn't have them take the stairs in the first place because the water is more fun.

**Author's Notes**: Sorry if this was a little rough around the edges but it's very hard to concentrate when people are talking to you, the television set is on and you're trying not to scream, even though you failed about ten times.


	11. Guilty

**Author's notes:** God damn it, people. I am so sorry! This is going to sound lame and made up, but here's the story:

Once upon a time, there was a teenager named Locked. She had a notebook, and it was colored. Her chemistry teacher was absent for the last couple of months of school, so instead of doing her work, she decided to be a rebel and write out the entire plot to her fan fiction. She was thrilled when she saw that she had completed her plot in amazing detail. Every hint of a plot hole had been erased with her pencil, and all was in order.

Two months later, her little sister went to camp. Locked's mother told her that she needed to empty out her backpack to allow the seven-year-old access to the bag. Rather unwillingly, but entirely absently, she threw out all that she thought she did not need.

Not a month later she saw that she had been neglecting her favorite fiction. Gasping, she remembered that lone chemistry notebook, and wildly she began searching for it, but to no avail.

I tell you my friends, Locked never found out what happened to that notebook of hers. Had she thrown it out accidentally? Or had the boogeyman leapt from her closet and ate it as she slept soundly? It was to forever remain a mystery.

-

A true story, mind you. I have no idea what happened to that thing. It seriously did have a detailed version of my plot in it. Since I can't find it, I'm afraid I might destroy this. So please, bear with me. I'm doing the best that I can in remembering it.

Anyway, special thanks to all of you! I love you, I love you, and hey! I love you some more! You've all been really patient with me, and I haven't received too much hate mail for stalling! That makes me very happy.

This one's for you!

---

"You are in so much trouble!"

"Shut up."

"Leon's going to cut out your heart, feed it to the heartless on a silver platter, shave your head, dice your kidneys, and turn you inside out!"

"Damn it, Yuffie!"

Cloud found himself standing right in front of the petite ninja, a hand clamped over her taunting lips. She had been acting in such a way since he darted out of the raging brunet's home, and she was quickly destroying his patience, that is, what little he had left of it.

A shadow had lurked in the blond's gaze, the shadow that had grown to engulf the blue in gray. As he leaned towards the jittery thief, she realized just how upset he was. Her eyes widened in fear, her tiny hands clasping around his strong arms to feebly attempt release.

"I don't need you rubbing it in my face," Cloud ground out, keeping his eyes at her level. Inhaling a hissed breath, he ordered, "Just back off."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry," Yuffie gushed, her eyebrows knitted together.

As he relaxed, he looked heavenwards at the distant worlds. What had he done? Everything was Hades fault, this much he knew. Hades had given him an impossible job, stolen his sanity and initiated an obsession of the untouchable warrior to stir within him. He needed someone to talk to.

"Yu—" he stopped, blinking in confusion. Yuffie was no longer in front of him. He had neither heard her move nor felt her presence disappear. She was an amazing ninja, no matter how immature she was.

He felt horrendously low. His stomach twisted and his heart screamed, a self-piteous chill running its course inside of him. Slowly, he moved towards his apartment, despite his feet feeling like lead blocks. He had to get away, to shell himself within his own domain and keep out anyone who wished to break his solace, god or no.

All he wanted was to die and rid everyone of their misery.

---

_**The danger increased as the lion stepped forward, letting out a long, low roar.**_

_Why had that stupid blond gone through that box? He had been trusted like a friend. That trust had been broken by the horrible fumble, and the chances of redemption were far beyond slim._

_**He then lashed out, rushing forward before taking a leap.**_

_More importantly than that trust, he had invaded Leon's privacy. He had deliberately destroyed the boundaries that had been expertly crafted into place. Leon had felt violated, and with every right to feel that way. Cloud had been an uninvited guest into a hidden past. He had known beforehand that he was unwelcome—neither had spoken of anything before their meeting—but he had still gone and crossed the line._

_**The lion did not let go…**_

_The blond was out of bounds._

_**Squirming, the wolf attempted to free itself.**_

He was curious. How could he not have been? The brunet was alluring, an obvious man of secrets. Cloud had always been consumed by someone who seemed to know more than he did. Taking his chances, he had opened the box. How was he to know that it would not only answer a few questions, but prove to be more trouble than it was worth?

…_**a small trickle of blood running right beneath its eye.**_

It felt as though he had broken some nonexistent rules that Leon had written. All blaming aside, Cloud knew that if he had been in the other's position, he would have been just as angry. But why then had he done it? He knew that he was bound to get caught. He should not have stuck his nose where it did not belong.

_**Once more, the wolf yipped in pain.**_

"I'm an idiot."

"_Idiot..."_

Cloud rolled over, glaring at the moon. He was never going to complete his mission. Hades was going to take all he had and destroy it in front of him, all just because he was too inept to complete one simple task. Everything was going to end in just a couple of weeks.

A light brow twitched as he slid his eyes shut. One thought in particular plagued him, and that was whether or not the reason he wanted to get Leon to trust him was actually driven by Hades? This was the original reason, but now he was entirely unsure.

_The blond was nothing to him. It was safer if he just never bothered him again. Yes, safer for the both of them. It was better this way._

He would remain unsettled if he was not able to try again. He hated to admit it, but he really enjoyed his duels with Leon. If nothing else, they were good partners.

A knock stole his thoughts. No one was supposed to bother him.

Two knocks. "Go away," he growled, though he knew that the person behind the door could not hear him.

Three knocks and Cloud was aggravated. He glared acidly at the door, willing away his visitor.

"Cloud!" called a gentle voice, followed by a few more knocks. "I know you're in there. Please, let me in."

Aerith's voice softened him. Reluctantly, he stood and opened the door, staring down at her with irritation. "What?"

His flat voice disheartened her, but nevertheless, she stood her ground and gave him a concerned look. "Yuffie told me what happened."

So, that was where the little brat went?

"Don't be mad at her," Aerith spoke, recognizing the look on his face. "She was worried about you."

Cloud narrowed his eyes, doubting that. She had teased him about it. Yuffie did not worry about social problems. If Cloud had a fight with Leon, that was no worry to her. Everything would turn out a-okay, that was what she always said.

"Can I come in?"

Frowning, the blond decided that he did not want company. Aerith was perfect in every way imaginable, but he did not have the ability to socialize at the moment. She would want his story and she would want to hear his feelings on the subject. Cloud was not yet ready to share such things. He had been earlier, but Yuffie had abandoned him.

"No." Without waiting for a response, he shut the door in her face and walked right back to his bed. When the sound of her footsteps faded, he sighed. It had been rude, but he needed the privacy.

His thoughts soon wandered back to the leather clad warrior. He found himself realizing two things, the first one being that there was still a slight possibility that he could mend what had been broken. It would be hard, but he believed that it was feasible. On top of which, he no longer blamed Hades. What happened was his fault. This also meant something important, something that was entirely no one else's fault:

Cloud had an obsession.

-

**Author's notes: **It's short, I know. I think I know where to go from here, but I want to second guess myself. I thought I would let you know that I'm still very much alive and very much willing to work on this. Don't hate me because it was small.

Okay, thanks for hanging in there!


End file.
